Australian football's showpiece competition kicks off this week, with ten teams fighting it out for the trophy affectionately known amongst Australian football lovers as the "toilet seat".
The arrival of October may mean the year is drawing near a close but for A-League fans, things are only just beginning.
And it's not just the fans who are excited about the advent of Season 11.
Sydney FC captain Alex Brosque.
"Yeah, very excited. Preseason...all the hard work and slogging it out on the training field is finally done and out of the way. And yeah, the nerves are starting to kick in. So I can definitely feel that the season is around the corner."
Runner-up Sydney FC was a Grand Finalist last season and, despite losing last season's top goal scorer in the A-League Marc Janko, is one of the favourites entering this season.
Probably the only team more favoured is the team that beat them in last year's deciding game, Melbourne Victory.
And according to coach Kevin Muscat, the Victory starts the campaign in a good position to do it all again.
"It always is a difficult period, in the offseason, retaining players, and bringing new players in. From our perspective, we're grateful that, with the number of retainess, we're able to start pre-season at a pretty advanced stage."
But a new season brings hope not just for established contenders, but teams looking to bounce back.
The Western Sydney Wanderers, Grand Finalists in their first two seasons but ninth out of ten last season, are foremost.
Coach Tony Popovic projects confidence.
"Expectation, externally, really doesn't bother us. Internally, we've always had high expectations, from the outset. This is no different. We expect to do well. We want to challenge for titles every year. And this year will be no different."
However the A-League is never just about the heavyweights.
The Central Coast Mariners have punched above their weight for most of their existence.
Coach Tony Walmsley says they'll have to do it again.
"I don't pay too much attention to what the perception is. The Mariners will always be a small club fighting against the big guys. And every time we go out this year, we'll be going out with the reality that the clubs we're playing against have spent more money than we have on players."
Money.
It's a delicate subject in Australian football at the moment, with a new collective bargaining agreement between Football Federation Australia and the Players' Union yet to be signed.
FFA chief David Gallop says the union should accept the deal currently being offered.
"I call on the PFA to get moving on signing the deal. Affordability is the key to this relationship - it always has been. And the deal that is on the table is a very good one."
Industrial issues aside, fans hope the football on offer will be just as good over the next seven months.
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